GROWING COMMUNITIES

ONE GARDENER AT A TIME

The Sanford Community Garden is celebrating it’s fifth anniversary this year. It has been serving the community by bringing gardeners together where they can learn from each other about everything from organic ways to handle snails to soil amendments for growing better arugula. Quarterly guest speakers offer their wisdom as well, and recently the garden began to collaborate with Amin of State of Harmony Farms, who joins them on their meetings and events to share her garden tips and tricks. Sheila Dip ace, the current president of the garden has big dreams for the space. “It’s never been just a garden to me. It’s a sanctuary, with enormous potential.” In the first quarter of 2016 the city will be creating a lease situation that the garden must adhere to, but will bring them more room to grow and more creative freedom, but more financial responsibilities as well. “We will soon have water bills and insurance responsibilities, which forces us into a fundraising situation, which we have never had to do before.” The expansion will bring room for more beds, but also an area she wants to use to create an educational area for children. “The children are our future, and that is especially true when it comes to learning how to be stewards to the planet. Learning to grow your own creates sense of wonder as well as self-reliance that will carry them through their lifetimes,” Sheila said. Recently she has spoken with Ixora, Project2100 and Lowes for possible collaborations during the expansion project which will happen between January and April of next year. To jumpstart the forthcoming expenses next year, the garden officers have created their first inaugural raffale, utilizing $2,000 in donations collected from many of the best spots in Sanford. From that kitty of goodies, ten prizes worth approximately $200 each will be ra__led o_f on January 14th at 8 pm in front of the Welcome Center, during the Alive After Five event. Tickets can be purchased at String Theory Creations, 204 E 1st Street, or Boxelder, at 278 S Palmetto Avenue, until January 14th. One ticket for $5.00 or three for $10.00, cash or check only. Sheila also has dreams of turning the green space that expands out from the garden into an actual park, framed with a soft walking trail that continues into an educational eco-tour for children through the thicket of trees to the east of the garden. “This trail could feed right up to the entrance to the children’s garden,” Sheila explained. Clearly she has big dreams for this space and this community.

For more information go to
www.SanfordCommnityGarden.com or email her
at SanfordCommunityGarden@gmail.com